John and Ken (LA 640am) had a guest on Wednesday. He was a recognized aviation industry security expert. He addressed the issue of private firms taking over airport security.
His take on it was that it would do little good to have a private firm take over. His reasoning was this.
1. private firms are required to use the same equipment and methods, if they wish to be approved by the FAA
2. private firms have to pay the same salaries as the TSA
This being the case, he thought privatization would be a Pyrrhic victory.
He suggested statistical profiling should be implemented. Don’t base it on race or religion. Base it on groups that stats could prove are high risk.
Further he suggested frequent fliers should be able to submit to a background check and receive ID that would let them board without hastle.
He stated that non-frequent fliers could do so also, but the cost would be prohibitive.
He said he thought the minimal check would suffice for those not in the high risk groups, and that only the high risk groups should be subjected to the most extreme searches.
He made quite a bit of sense IMO.
San Francisco International (SFO) and several other airports have had private security all along. From what I’ve heard, they aren’t much different than the TSA run hell holes.
MICA is off base here...it is not who is doing the screening, it is the regulations in place concerning the screenings...they need be changed PRONTO to be reasonable. To me that means PROFILING.
Long before the terrorists came up with the hijacking planes senario, some individuals had bombed planes to benefit from insurance claims on the targeted passenger. So, along came the x rays of luggage. Then in response to hijackings came the metal detectors. Neither of these two were evasive. Now, in response to attempted bombings in flight we have these stupid full body scans or extreme pat downs. When they fail, which they will because someone will secret a bomb up their A hole, what is next, a proctologist exam to fly? I think the public needs to say hell no, we have gone over the edge here. I am not a terrorist criminal and I don’t wish to be treated as one as a condition of using a conveyance. This completely undermines the fourth amendment and the interstate commerce clause of some archeic, in some minds, founding document, our Constitution. So, show me the clause in that document that says you cannot profile? Case Closed.
The private companies might use the same methods, but I’m sure they would be far more apt to use it on high-risk travelers than small children and grannies.